The FIM Sportbike World Championship takes another interesting turn as Carter Thompson (Team BrCorse) takes the Race 2 win to close the EICMA Italian Round – the penultimate round of the season. The win marks Yamaha’s and his first-ever win in the class, as well as the biggest ever winning margin in a WorldSPB race. Xavi Artigas (MTM Kawasaki) chased him up onto the rostrum for his sixth podium of the season and his third in a row. Ferre Fleerackers (Track & Trades Wixx Racing) came home third to close the round, his first rostrum result since Assen, and his third of the campaign.
The title battle will continue to Jerez, with David Salvador (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) holding just a 12-point lead over Artigas, with 50 points left to play for. The fight for third in the Riders’ Championship is also now neck and neck as Thompson has supplanted Antonio Torres (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) for P3, now leading the Spaniard by a single point.
THOMPSON WITH A THUMPING MAIDEN VICTORY
Artigas took pole ahead of a strong jump from Alvaro Fuertes (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team) and Fenton Seabright (PHR Performance Triumph), who was shuffled off the podium in the final corner of Race 1. Artigas, Fuertes, Seabright and Fleerackers nearly went four wide as they charged into Turn 11 in the braking zone of the back straight on the opening lap. Thompson fought with the #65 for P1 across the first three laps, and the Aussie struck at Turn 7 on to lead the race, while farther back Salvador locked horns with his title rival #34. Thompson was keen on landing his first win in the category, dropping the rest of the group to grow his lead to more than four seconds with two laps to go. Artigas finished P2 at the head of the lead group, more than 5.3 seconds behind the #50. The #65 took P3, just over a tenth behind Artigas, marking his return to the podium for the first time since Assen.
FUERTES BEATS SALVADOR TO THE LINE BY 0.004s
Fuertes hung well with the lead group from his P5 starting spot, overcoming a late Turn 12 move from Salvador behind him on the run to the line, outpacing the Championship leader by just two thousandths to send the #38 to P5. Juan Risueno (Pons Motosport Italika Racing) enjoyed a strong ride to close out the penultimate round, climbing from P16 to finish P6 for his best result this season.
SEABRIGHT STUMBLES TO P7
Fenton Seabright (PHR Performance Triumph) fought early for the podium, but as the race continued,, he lagged behind the front group and finished P7. Pepe Osuna (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team) was as consistent as ever, finishing P7 up from his P11 starting spot. With that, the #77 makes it five rounds running in the top ten. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) closes his home round with a second straight top ten, comprising two of his four so far in 2026. Antonio Torres (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) rounded off the top ten in Italy, finishing without a top five for only the second time this season. His form has dropped off over the last few races, and he will need to lock in at home to defend P3 in the Championship from the ascendant Australian.
VENEMAN AND DESSOY COLLIDE
Matteo Vannucci (Revo-M2) saw gravel early on, another unlucky result for the Aprilia rider. Harrison Dessoy (PHR Performance Triumph) and Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) crashed out after making contact on Turn 2, ending their running from inside the top ten. The Dutch rider was taken to the medical centre, where he awaits treatment. Later on, Elia Bartolini (CM Triumph Factory Racing) crashed out at the final Turn 13 on Lap 6.
The top six from the WorldSPB Race 2: Full results here!
- Carter Thompson (Team BrCorse)
- Xavi Artigas (MTM Kawasaki) +5.305s
- Ferre Fleerackers (Track & Trades Wixx Racing) +5.434s
- Alvaro Fuertes (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team) +5.583s
- David Salvador (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) +5.585s
- Juan Risueno (Pons Motosport Italika Racing) +5.860s
Fastest lap: Carter Thompson (Yamaha) – 1’36.157s, new lap record
Championship standings
- David Salvador (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) 224 points
- Xavi Artigas (MTM Kawasaki) 212
- Carter Thompson (Team BrCorse) 158
- Antonio Torres (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) 157
- Fenton Seabright (PHR Performance Triumph) 127
- Ferre Fleerackers (Track & Trades Wixx Racing) 123
WorldSPB returns at the season’s final round at Jerez! Tune in for the momentous final round of the Championship’s first-ever season starting on Friday, October 16th with the WorldSBK VideoPass! Now 70% off!